While I await a yarn and pattern shipment I decided to cast on something quick and easy......something that didn't require any further purchases and wouldn't have to be cast aside when the "real" project arrived.
I had found an interesting "Heirloom Baby Bonnet" pattern in an old issue of "Spin-Off" (Summer 2000). Although the pattern is meant to be used with handspun laceweight, I had just the right amount of Zepher leftover from knitting "The Peacock Feathers Shawl", and decided to use that up.
Things were going well. I had the multi-petaled, "medallion" crown of the bonnet done and was at least 5 repeats into the lacey edging (14 repeats required) when I glanced down at my work and there it was, like a slap in the face.
AThe REVERSE side of the lace edging was showing on the RIGHT side of the bonnet.
Photo "A" shows the crown right-side up and the lace edging wrong-side up.
BPhoto "B" Shows the crown wrong-side up and the lace edging right-side up.
The pattern (or perhaps my interpretation of what the pattern writer meant), was WRONG. Where the designer said "From here on, to the end of every right-side row, knit the last edging stitch together with a medallion stitch." To my understanding that would mean that the rows that end with "K2tog (a medallion stitch with the last edging stitch)" would then be the right-side rows and I arranged my work so that would be the case.
As you can see the lace pattern is very similar on both sides so it took me a while to see the difference. It is most noticeable in the inner lace panel. There is clearly a stockinette base to that portion and it is definitely supposed to go opposite to the way I have it.
It's gone. Ripped! Not the whole bonnet, "just" the lace edging. I was able to save the crown "medallion". I know the difference was slight, but it would have driven me crazy.
3 comments:
I love how you call it "fast and easy". I would call it "a year-long project, involving much cussin' and tears.
I bow to your expertise!
i need some help, oh wise and wonderful lace knitter. lori law told me to ask you if you had any suggestions for a semi-easy shawl suitable for a semi-formal wedding when i have semi-amounts of time to work on it (the wedding is sept 16). i just finished the flower basket shawl, as my first lace project, so any suggestions would be gratefully accepted. i already have a skein of about 1300 yds of laceweight merino. thanks!
I'm a relatively new lace knitter myself and have no experience past the Peacock Feathers Shawl, the Poinsettia Shawl, and my more recent Feather and Fan Shawl. Of those three I would say the Peacock Feathers Shawl would be your best bet. It's showy, so would be nice for a wedding, it wasn't terribly difficult (use lifelines though!), and there is enough pattern variety to maintain your interest.
The Poinsettia Shawl, although easy and quick, is a bit small and frankly, seems more suited to being a lap blanket.
The Feather and Fan Shawl, once you get out past the center medallion, is easy as pie, but also dead boring and you might have trouble sticking with it to completion. It's a LOT of very boring knitting.
I would recommend looking for a pattern for a stole or a triangular shawl. The large square or circular shawls require twice as much knitting for the same effect...as they are worn folded.
Dorothy Siemens of Fiddlesticks Knitting could probably recommend one of her patterns. They are very well written so I wouldn't necessarily rule out those marked "Advanced Intermediate".
Have you looked at her "Romance Shawl"?
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